Cherishing You
by AsakuraHannah
Summary: Having separated from his brother ever since he was a baby, Eren didn't remember the face of his older brother aside from his baby photos. He soon found himself slowly attached to the new guy who appeared in his family's bakery during the first day of his moving. RiRen AU Incest Modern Days
1. Separation

**Cheris****h****ing You **

**Genre: **Drama | Romance | AU | Incest | Modern Days

**Rating:** M

**Fandom:** Shingeki no Kyojin

**Pairing: (mainly)** Levi x Eren, some other pairings, which will be added in later chp.

_**Summary: **_Having been separated from his brother ever since he was a baby, Eren didn't remember his face aside from his baby photos. He soon found himself slowly getting attached to the new guy who suddenly appeared in his family's bakery during the first day he moved.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin, but this fanfiction is mine. ©AsakuraHannah

**A/N:** I've been wanting to write another fic with a brotherly love theme and here it was, all ready for you to read. XD No, this is not a reincarnation fic, just a modern day setting. The Jaeger Bakery doujinshi was the one inspired me for the setting in this fanfic! :D I figured this fic won't be as long as Overwhelming Emotions, but let's see how it goes! Enjoy!

_**Chapter 01 : Separation**_

The door of the bakery opened to reveal a young lady with amber eyes and brown hair. She held her son's hand, readying him for school in the very morning.

"You really don't have to send me off, Mom. I'm 12 already." The boy said as he pouted. His mother shook her head.

"What nonsense are you talking about, Rivaille? You won't be home in several days because of your field trip, I have to see you off." Carla was about to close the door when her eldest son halted her. The boy spotted his one-year-old brother as he slowly crawled up to them. Had he not seen him, Carla would have closed the door and injured him. The green-eyed baby was staring up at his brother while he scooped up. He could hear Rivaille's soothing voice as he whispered to his ear. He giggled with his small hands clutched to his jacket after feeling the bigger hand ruffle his brown locks affectionately, kissing the top of his head as he rocked him in his arms.

"Eren, I'll be going now, alright? We'll be separated for a few days until I'm back from my field trip. Don't cry while I'm gone, Eren." His mother picked him up from the boy's arms, smiling softly as she patted his head.

"We need to go now… Mikasa, can you take him back inside? He's following Rivaille outside." An eight-year-old girl with long hair and stoic eyes walked up to them.

"Have a safe trip, Mom…" She said while she took her brother in her arms.

"Are you not going to say anything to your older brother?" Mikasa rolled her eyes at her inquiry.

"Be safe… Rivaille…" she pursed her lips while he gavea silent nod. Carla looked at her children and shook her head.

"You two are so stubborn. We need to go now. Make sure you cook lunch before 12, Mikasa. I'll be home as soon as I can. Wake your father if he ha**s**n't woken up by 9. Watch the shop for me for the time being." The girl nodded before Carla closed the door of her house. Watching the door shut before his eyes, Eren started to wiggle out from her arms. Mikasa quickly cuddled him firmly to prevent him from falling.

"Iaaii—" Eren attempted to call out Rivaille's name, trying to make him appear again in front of him. Mikasa patted him softly, turned around to walk back to the living room with Eren in her arms.

"It's alright, Eren. He'll be back in a few days… You'll see him again soon." She cooed him when he started to sob. Mikasa put Baby Eren on the sofa, ignoring his wail while she switched on the TV for kids' show. Upon hearing the sounds, his big green eyes stared up at the screen. Mikasa's lips turned into a smile as she watched her brother's curious look. In a few minutes, she heard him laugh as if forgetting his previous sadness. Mikasa caressed his hair and got up to walk to the front shop of their house just in case a customer walked inside.

The Jaeger family owned a bakery shop, her father's bakery sold many delicious breads, pastries and cakes throughout the small Shiganshina Town to delight their customers. Many people ordered especially during rush hours. The Jaeger Bakery became everyone's favorite with their merchandise and seasonal bargains, especially in the town where festivals were held regularly.

As soon as Mikasa walked into the shop, she saw her father in front of the counter. He looked at her with a smile and nodded.

"You can go inside, no need to worry. It won't be that much before the rush hours."

"Okay, call me when you need help, Dad." She said and walked back inside. They did their usual activities for the day with Mikasa playing with Eren right after she finished her homework while Grisha took care of the shop. Occasionally, her daughter would help around the store to put in freshly baked bread that her father had prepared.

It was time for lunch when Mikasa walked up to Eren, who was still in front of the TV. She found him sleeping soundly and smiled at the sight. She took the remote control and switched it to the news channel. While she let the news fill the air, she hummed a random song while pulling out plates from the cabinet. Mikasa heard some ruckus on the news, a bus had gotten into an accident, but she paid no heed to it. She moved around in the kitchen and start cooking for the next half an hour. While she was setting up the table and putting the meal, she heard a loud sound coming from the entrance of the house. Mikasa whipped her head to look at her pale mother trying to catch her breath.

"Mikasa, where's your Dad?" she asked in a quivering voice.

"He's in the shop, Mom. What happened?" She quickly walked to her.

"Your brother, he got into an accident! The bus that was bringing them collided with a gasoline truck. I was almost home when I heard the news in the radio of our car. I need to tell your Dad and call the hospital." Her eyes were frantic as she looked over the news. Mikasa's mouth went dry as her brain registered the news. Her raven eyes looked to the TV screen, watching the bus in flames. Her heart beating faster at the memory of her brother and their previous little fight. They were fighting about who'd take care of Eren during the night because they love him so much. Mikasa wouldn't believe what she was seeing, the people who were injured could be her brother. The lists of the names continued going up, hoping that her brother was on the list of the injured people instead of the one passed away or consider missing because of their unrecognized burning face. Her train of thought was disturbed once her mother called her, while pulling Eren into her arms. The baby cried loudly, mad that someone had disturbed his sleep.

"Mikasa, hurry up!" Carla shouted as they hurriedly walked outside the house. She stumbled to her feet, quickly putting on her shoes and rushing into the car. She bit her lip throughout their ride to the Trost Hospital mentioned in the news.

* * *

The boy with raven hair and deep teal eyes blinked drowsily as he slowly sat up. He flinched as a pain shoot through his head and arms as he moved. He ran his hand to his head, noticing the bandage around his head. He took in his surroundings, realizing that he was in the hospital. He grunted as he touched his forehead. A doctor walked inside and smiled up to him when he noticed he was awakened.

"I'm glad to see you are awake. How are you feeling?" The blonde doctor patted him on the shoulder, making the teen flinch at the contact.

"What happened?" he muttered, looking up when a nurse walked in.

"You got into an accident during your way to the field trip with your friends. Can you tell me your name?" The doctor smiled after he saw the boy's eyes read his name tag, 'Erwin' and looked up into his blue eyes.

"I'm…" he frowned as he tried to remember his name. What was did his father use to call him? His mother? His eyes widened upon realizing he couldn't remember either of their names, even their faces were hazy in his mind.

"Uhh… Le-vi…" He muttered, trying to sounds it right.

"L-E-V-I? Is that how you spell your name? Can you remember your family's name? Do you remember your age?" The raven shook his head as he looked down. Upon getting a sad feedback from him, Erwin patted his back softly and nodded to the nurse to write his name on the list of injured people.

"I think he should be around 13 years old, Doctor." The nurse named Petra said as she watched him closely.

"Didn't he bring a bag with him? The bus was on the way to their field trip from Shiganshina, right?" Erwin asked. Petra shook her head.

"Almost everything burnt down, his student ID was probably left on the bus. All the teachers can think of was saving as many students' lives as possible, we can't blame them, they tried their best. He will be the last one. The others, we can't identify their faces, Doctor." She said as she showed him the list.

"Thank you, Petra. We'll need to go now."

"Doctor, a parent with a little girl and a baby was searching for their son. Is the list finished?" Someone called out and Erwin hurriedly ran to him. Petra noticed the boy staring at her and she smiled.

"Levi, you'll need to take some rest while we're busy with other things. You have to wait here until your parent come." Petra patted him on his back and left. Levi looked at her back with a frown. Surely, someone will come and pick him up, right? He at least remembered his name, even if he didn't recall his last name. Levi laid back on the bed, trying to remember some piece of his memory. He remembered he cradled his brother in his arms, kissing his head before going outside the house. He didn't remember what he was supposed to do outside, but then he woke up in this room, already injured and lost some of his memory. Levi closed his eyes, his heart clenching painfully. The only thing he remembered were his green eyes, which always shone brightly whenever he pulled his brother into his chest.

Days became weeks, that turned into months. Levi found himself brought into Erwin's house just so the boy could grow up properly. There must be some mistakes on the name and age. Apparently no one took him right after the accident and Erwin found the boy was practically depressed once he realized that he was being dumped by his family. Those eyes had turned empty by the time Erwin took him in. He could only wish the boy would remember some of his memories as the time passed by.

* * *

Carla sobbed in front of a tombstone, her husband Grisha Jaeger hugged her from behind, trying to calm her down. Mikasa stared at the tombstone with a sad face, her older brother was gone, even they couldn't recognize his face anymore. No one would fight with her over Eren. No one would listen to her moaning on her school activity, no one would give her suggestion to her problems anymore. Mikasa bit her lip to prevent herself from sobbing. A soft touch from her brother made her look down. Eren was patting her hand with his tiny hands, trying to make her laugh. Mikasa kneeled down beside his baby cart and softly took his hand into hers.

"It's alright, Eren. I'll be by your side always, I'll take care of you from now on." Mikasa whispered softly as she pulled him up. Eren gave a grunt right after she cradled him in her arms. A single tear ran down Mikasa's cheek.

_**TBC**_

**So, I guess that's all for first chp :'3 I hope you like it.**


	2. Green Eyes

**Cherising You**

**Genre: **Drama | Romance | AU | Incest | Modern Days

**Rating:** M

**Pairing: (mainly)** Rivaille x Eren, some other pairing which will be added in the later chp.

**_Summary: : _**Having separated from his brother ever since he was a baby, Eren didn't remember the face of his older brother aside from his baby photos. He soon found himself slowly attached to the new guy who appeared in his family's bakery during the first day of his moving.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin, but this fanfiction is mine. ©AsakuraHannah

* * *

**_Chapter 02: Green Eyes_**

_"Eren… Eren, you have interesting colored eyes, do you know that? Don't cry, you'll spoil the beauty of your eyes." Eren's wails slowly subdued as his brother rocked him in his arms, calming him down. Carla watched in amazement while Mikasa pouted beside her. They were just playing at the house and Eren had cried loudly for having his toys taken away by Mikasa. Rivaille was near them when he watched the whole situation. She had tried to calm him down, but it did not work as she hoped. He had the need to help her out._

_"Rivaille, you are such a good brother. You love him so much, don't you?" Carla wrapped her arms around his son as she watched Eren's tiny hand clutch on his shirt tightly. Rivaille's lips curved up as he watched his brother blink at him questioningly._

_"Iaaiii?" Eren tried as he raised his hand to touch Rivaille's cheek. _

_"It's Rivaille, Eren… Rivaille…" Carla cooed while rubbing her forefinger to his cheek. The baby giggled at the soft touches, wiggling a little as he tried to get away from the ticklish caresses. Rivaille brought him closer to kiss his forehead._

_"I love you, Eren. Never forget that…" Rivaille whispered to his ear while patting his soft brown locks._

* * *

Eren Jaeger, the boy with green eyes and brunet hair, shouted once he recognized the time on his nightstand. He quickly stumbled out his bed, cursing the moment he almost fell to the floor. His sister walked inside with a frown, not even caring that his brother was yelping in the middle of pulling off his pyjamas.

"Eren, what's the hassle? You're so noisy." She scolded.

"Mikasa, at least knock first!" He shouted at his 22 years old sister while throwing his pajama top right on her face. Mikasa flinched at the contact and pulled it away.

"Ugh, wash your pajama at least, Eren!"

"Why didn't you wake me up!? I'm going to be late!" Mikasa threw his cloth into the laundry basket in his brother's room and sighed.

"Eren, its Saturday." Eren paused when he realized his mistake, flushing at his silliness.

"Uhh… right." He mumbled. Mikasa rolled her eyes.

"Come down and at least watch the shop. Dad is still baking. I'll help Mom deliver some bread to a customer a few blocks away from here." His sister commanded him and turned around to leave. Eren groaned and started to pull his pants off and take a bath.

* * *

Eren yawned loudly as he leaned against the counter. The shop was empty for now and he had to rest himself for a while. He squeaked in the middle of his yawning when the door opened, revealing a fine man with undercut hair and beady eyes. Eren flushed at his manner, sucking in his breath the moment their gaze clashed, shivers ran down his spine as the teen stood stiffly behind the counter. He had never seen a guy with such a piercing gaze like him come into the shop before, he must be new around the town, or a tourist.

"Aren't you supposed to greet your costumer?" The man's voice was low and calm, much to Eren's surprise.

"W-Welcome, Sir." Eren quickly greeted his customer, head bowing low as a polite gesture. "Please take your time choosing from our tasty breads and pastries." The man's lips tugged into a smirk once he acknowledged him with a nod. Eren slowly lifted his head to see him walk to the other side of the shop, eyes scanning each of the breads in the racks. He watched his every movement, hoping that he was being secretive as the man wandered about. Once his eyes accidentally caught staring, resulting in Eren flinching and quickly look down. The silence was unnerving while the raven haired man picked several breads until he walked up to the counter. He was amazed that the man had set one tray and told him that he'd need a second tray. Green eyes met teal-gray eyes before, the man was staring at him intently before he walked away. Eren let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding once the man made another tour around the shop.

_'Is he having some kind of a party?'_ His mind wondered while the man's eyes stared right and left in full of consideration. Eren's shoulder stiffened again as the raven haired man came closer to him with the second tray in his hands.

"Are these all, Sir? Do you want to have a pastry? Our today recommended list is Jaeger Lemon Pie. We also sell a tart for a special party." Eren offered as he handed him a brochure not far from the counter after taking his tray.

"No, thanks for the offer. I'll just come back when I need one." The man took the brochure and threw him an amused look while Eren tried to avoid his gaze. Despite the intimidating look he got from him, Eren could see that he was dressed with casual but fashionable clothes. Eren nodded and gave him the receipt. Their hands brushed slightly while the teen handed him the change, making the teen flinch at the small contact.

"You are so jumpy, brat." Scowling at the nickname, Eren's lips formed into a pout.

"I'm not a brat!" All fears were thrown outside the window as soon as the man called him that. Eren was annoyed as the raven just chuckled at his retort.

"Fine, Eren." His eyes drifted to the nametag worn on his chest before he called out the boy's name. Eren's eyes widened after he heard the way his name spelled out from those lips of his. The man took the plastic wrap with his breads inside and gave him a small wave.

"You have interesting eyes…" Eren had no time to say anything after the man walked out without another words, leaving him flushing at his compliment.

* * *

Carla wacked her son's head as soon as she found him sleeping against the counter. The teen yelped in surprise, he was about to protest at the harsh treatment but immediately stopped as soon as he saw his mother's glare.

"Eren, you are supposed to watch the shop, not sleep!" Eren groaned. "Maybe he's tired, Mom." Mikasa said after she closed the door.

"Nonsense! When are you going to grow up, I wonder?" Eren remained silent, peeking at her mother from under his bangs. He was relieved after she turned around to walk inside their house after her exasperated sigh.

"Eren, did someone just order a whole load of bread? Mikasa asked as she scanned the racks. Eren stood up and mumbled something unclear.

"Eren?"

"Yes?" He squeaked at her, afraid of another scolding coming. Mikasa only looked at him perplexed, wanting to have some explanation while her hands gestured to the racks.

"Oh yes, some odd man with an intimidating look bought several breads. I've never seen him around before, he must be new in town."

"In that case, you should place fresh breads so that it won't look empty." Eren sighed at her.

"I'm sorry…" he grumbled.

"Take the newly fresh ones and put them on the shelves. You should help Dad bake, I'll take care of the shop." Eren only grunted in reply and walked into the kitchen.

* * *

It had been several days after that man came into the bakery shop. Eren wondered if he'd ever show up again. He could be around town for a day or two and go. Eren shook his head, he should not be thinking about a guy who only talked to him for a few minutes. He ran to the front of his store when someone crashed into him upfront. He yelped as the hot liquid spilled on his uniform.

"Watch out!" Eren cried while stumbling backwards. He lifted his gaze to see those teal-gray eyes staring back at him with an angry look.

"I've just wasted the coffee I bought!" Eren's mouth went dry at his scolding. Those beady eyes were staring at him with an annoyed look before checking on his jacket.

"How can you say that when you just spilled coffee on my uniform!?" Eren protested once he realized how big a stain had emerged on the fabric.

"Then watch where you are going next time!" Eren gritted his teeth.

_'And I was just thinking about this asshole a few minutes ago! He's is definitely not nice at all!'_ A smirk tugged on the man's pristine lips, making Eren's face turn pale. He did not just say his thought out loud, did he?!

"What was that brat? Care to explain?" Eren growled frustratingly and quickly walked inside the shop.

"Never mind, I'll just… clean this up fast." Eren mumbled, leaving the man in front of the shop. He didn't expect him to follow him back into the shop before the older of the two complained.

"Hey, at least I want my coffee back!" Eren gaped at him in disbelief.

"What?!"

"What happened?" Mikasa who just walked outside the kitchen lifted her eyebrow at the stain on Eren's uniform. Her eyes shifted to the man who was holding the half-empty cup and she groaned at the thought.

"I'm sorry, Sir for the trouble. My idiot brother will pay for the new cup." She gave him a glare and Eren had no time to retort after Mikasa pushed him to the coffee maker to make a new one. Eren couldn't believe his bad luck, not only that the man had knocked the cup of coffee on his uniform, but also having the need to pay for the coffee he spilled over him. He really wanted to chucked the cup on his mouth full of rage. Now what matter was that he needed to rush quickly just so he could take care of the stain.

"Take off your jacket." The command made the sibling eyeing the man in shock.

"So that I could take care of that ugly stain." The man scoffed as he waved his hand in the air. Eren's face was flaming while he took his uniform off. He let his sister silently took the jacket from his hand, eyes never leaving the shorter man with full of inquisition. Eren gulped nervously while watching the two glaring daggers at each other. As soon as he poured the whipped cream on the cup, Eren quickly handed him his new fresh coffee. He let out a protest sound when the shorter of the two pulled him outside the shop by the hand.

"What do you want?" The teen complained right after the door closed behind them.

"I need to know your shift time so I can to return this to you."

"Well, I'm the owner's son, so I'll always be here other than school occasion. What's your name?" Eren asked curiously, biting his lip when the raven raised his eyebrow.

"I just need to know your name so that I know when you'll return it. You know, information…" Eren mumbled, searching for an excuse.

"What now? Do you need my number as well?" He chuckled as Eren sputtered.

"It's Levi. I just moved into this town last Saturday, so I'll be able to go back here anytime I want. Give me your phone." Eren bit his lip while pulling out his phone. He watched patiently while the man tapped his numbers on his screen. After he gave the phone back to him, Eren couldn't believe how his heart thumping loudly against his chest. Eren stared at him for a few minutes, wondering why the name sounds familiar. Had he heard it somewhere before? The so called man looked at him with one eyebrow rose.

"Oh, sorry. Thanks…" Eren mumbled, getting a nod from him. Right after Levi had walked away from his shop, Eren walked back inside only to find Mikasa watching him curiously.

"Mikasa… That guy name is Levi… Is he always around town before? Have you heard that name?" Eren said, frowning. The way his sister threw him an odd look which made him feel uncomfortable.

"Haven't heard of him before." Both of them stared at each other in silent.

"It's only resemblances, Eren…" Mikasa finally pointed what his brother meant.

"Rivaille… Levi… It sounds almost the same." Eren's heart tugged in a bit painful way at the remembrance of his brother. Not that he could remember him clearly, but every stories he heard, he knew his brother was a very loving person.

**TBC**


	3. The Cause

**Cherishing You**

**Genre: **Drama | Romance | AU | Incest | Modern Days

**Rating:** M

**Pairing: (mainly)** Rivaille x Eren, some other pairings which will be added in later chapters.

_**Summary: **_Having separated from his brother ever since he was a baby, Eren didn't remember the face of his older brother aside from his baby photos. He soon found himself slowly attached to the new guy who appeared in his family's bakery during the first day of his moving.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin, but this fanfiction is mine. ©AsakuraHannah

_**A/N:**__ I make a couple of change for you to imagine: _

_- I can't stop imagine Levi **taller** than Eren in this fic ;v_

_- Mikasa have a **long** hair (Just like before she cut it in episode 3) _

_**Chapter 03: The Cause**_

Erwin Smith jolted in surprise right after a big plastic bag almost crashed into his face as soon as he looked up. The grumpy man threw Erwin an annoyed look as he took the bag with a slight chuckle.

"Thanks, as always, Levi. Their breads are delicious." Erwin muttered right after he took the bag full of breads from his assistant.

"I can't believe how you can eat those almost every day."

"You said you liked their bread as soon as you took a bite during your welcome party on the other day, Levi. You even picked some that wasn't too sweet for your liking." The shorter man huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Those breads are good, but having them everyday… I don't know, I might end up getting bored, Erwin." He was about to walk away from the desk when Erwin stopped him.

"Have you finished the report I gave you?" Levi shook his head.

"Not yet, my co-workers are so slow with their work. I might offer some help, but they'd instantly cling to me. Remind me again why I wanted to be a doctor?" Erwin chuckled and shook his head.

"You could have helped them and be their reluctant hero. By the way, if you're going to the lab, can you bring these blood samples to Hanji? I need her to check their DNA." The raven nodded and snatched the blood samples. Erwin's eyes followed him until he noticed Levi was holding a jacket in his other hand. He raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar cloth the man brought with him. He was left to wonder who the jacket belonged to until a nurse broke his train of thoughts.

* * *

Levi's eyes scanned the corridor as many patients and a few doctors walked past him. He saw some of the patients crying over some accident which had happened a few hours before. Some parents looked relieved as they hugged their children. He watched the scene in silence, his heart clenching at the sight before his eyes. He was once one of those wounded children, waiting for his parent to pick him up. His parents had never come. He knew he should force himself out, but the nurse wouldn't let him go anywhere. His parents could have searched for him, but they didn't even go inside the room where he waited. He was sure there must have be some mistake on the 'student's injured' list, but he had never heard any news or words from a family searching for their son. There was once a single parent searching for her missing son from that field-trip accident, but the name was not him. He was sure it's not his name, because the sound was very different from what he'd remembered. Even the photo shown in the news was not him.

Since then, Levi decided to bury his feeling of hope. He'd followed Erwin right after the man had picked him up like a stray cat. Levi swore to his heart that he'd be a doctor so that he could save those children which needed help, who had been separated from their parents' right after an accident. Erwin knew his motive and he wouldn't let the opportunity slip off, letting him take medical courses so that he could save lives.

Levi's eyes stared at the doorknob, his mind having wandered around while his feet brought him to the front lab faster than he thought. He was about to open the door when it almost crashed into him from the side.

"Oops, sorry- oh Levi!" His brow twitched at the high-pitch tone coming from the crazy scientist. She grinned widely at him as her eyes glistened full of calculations.

"What brings you here? To who does that jacket belong to?" She almost squealed when she looked down on what he was holding. Levi groaned and quickly walked inside the lab to prevent her from causing a scene.

"I'm only here because Erwin told me to bring these blood samples to check the DNA, Hanji. Quit it, this jacket has nothing to do with my business here. I need to go to the locker before I start." Levi quickly set the samples down on her PC. Hanji gave him a pout before walking back to her desk.

"I was about to go have lunch, you know! By the way, you are late! Your friends have been searching for you for half an hour." Levi shrugged at her.

"You can have lunch when you want to, I don't care. Those guys are not my friends, and they need to learn to work by themselves and not to depend on me too much. And I'm late because a green eyed boy knocked down the coffee I bought. … Why the hell am I even telling you this…" He scoffed and walked, quickly waving at her while walking away.

"What? Tell me the details!" She pulled on the jacket he was holding, preventing him from going. Levi hissed at her.

"Stop it, Hanji! You'll ruin it!"

"What's with that boy? Is this his jacket? Wait, is this a school uniform?" Hanji gasped at her own imagination. His eye twitched at the sparkles of enthusiasm in her eyes beneath those glasses.

"It's none of your business!" He slapped her hand away and ran out before she could catch him. Hanji growled after the door slammed close.

"This is big news…!" She squealed and crossed her arms.

* * *

_"Eren, you have to find something to motivate you to bake. Don't you have some kind of goal while baking something?" Ten years old Eren shook his head while he stared at the dough his father had made. He was curious though of what it was like to bake something delicious just like his Dad._

_"Can't I make it because I like it?" Grisha laughed at him._

_"No, I won't let you touch anything until you know what you want to do." Much to Eren's disappointment, his father shooed him out from the kitchen and just told him to bring fresh bread to be put into the shelf. He never let him make pastries because there had to be a reason to make them. Eren scowled every time he tried to help out but always drove away. It felt like his Dad didn't even trust him with his shop._

* * *

Eren squinted his eyes when a ball of paper hit him on his forehead. His hand clenched his pencil, the force enough to snap it into two. They were in a cooking class before lunch and Eren had spoiled the dough before they had even started baking. Jean who was put in the same team as Eren was overly pissed off. Armin nudged his arm with his elbow, shaking his head in full of alertness when Eren raised his head to snap at him. Another paper hit him on the head, this time a plane folded piece of paper. A snicker could be heard in front of him, a whispered scolding following after. Marco was obviously not pleased.

"What do you want, horse-face?" Eren finally decided to speak up. The snickers were getting louder.

"Have you ever thought why you are so overly unpopular, virgin? You need to do something with that temper of yours." Eren gritted his teeth; he felt his vein might split because of trying to hold his anger down.

"Not when someone like you keeps throwing paper on my head- Stop it!" He shouted when another ball of paper attacked his nose. He threw him a hateful look as Armin groaned beside him.

"Seriously, you two. Stop it." Armin hissed at the two rivals, already seeing the teacher glaring in their direction.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Eren slammed his fist onto the table, glaring daggers at Jean who stood across him with only a table separating the two.

"You might want to tone it down a little, idiot. People are staring."

"Says the one who started it, asshole!"

"I was just curious as to why your Dad is able to be very successful while you are nothing but a loser."

"My Dad's business has nothing to do with me, don't bring that up! If you got a problem, then say it right to my Dad, not me!"

"You are just a loser who can't even bake properly!"

"Shut it! You are not much better during class!"

"You are the one who spoiled the dough, Jaeger! What have you done to our mark?!" Eren was about to snap back until their teacher came close to them.

"ENOUGH!" A shout stopped both of them from killing each other, Nile Dawk, their teacher was glaring at the two of them.

"Now I want you two to behave and stand quietly outside, until the lesson ends. Understand?" Eren and Jean didn't even try to cover their groan. Leaving the two of them alone wasn't a very good idea though. It wasn't long until the teachers had to pull them of off each other, Eren was satisfied that he had managed to bruise Jean's face with several punches. His own nose was bleeding, but that still didn't stop him from trying to lurch towards the taller teen. Armin only shook his head, wondering what Mikasa might do the time she found out that Eren was suspended for three days.

"You really should stop fighting with him."

"He's the one who keeps bringing that up! So what if my Dad is more skillful in the kitchen!" Armin cocked his eyebrow, looking at his best friend surprised.

"You've never taken those things seriously before… Why now?" Eren bit his lip as he paced faster to the school gate.

"I'm just a loser, after all…" Eren's fists clenched, not noticing that Armin had stopped following him. It wasn't until a few steps away that Eren noticed Armin was no longer behind him that he spun around to check.

"Armin?"

"If you feel like you can do much better, then why don't you practice?" Armin offered with a small smile. Eren hesitated to answer.

"I don't know why I should do that…" The brunet shrugged.

"But you said…"

"I need an objective to bake. Dad won't let me come near the kitchen if I don't have a motive to start making fresh breads from my heart. It's pretty silly don't you think?" Armin stayed silent, not knowing how to respond to him. They stared at each other before Eren gave a terse smile and turned around to walk back to his house.

* * *

Mikasa was horrified when she heard her brother's explanation, including the bruise on his cheek and battered nose including the letter from school. Armin sighed and patted Eren good luck before turning around to leave. His eyes met with teal gray ones as soon as he walked outside the store. Their eyes met for a second. Armin giving a hesitant nod at and walked past the taller man. After hearing the door close behind him, Armin wondered if that was the guy Eren had been talking about in the past few days. Judging from those beady eyes, he couldn't be wrong.

"He looked a bit familiar though…" Armin frowned in thought.

The raven haired man stepped into the warm and welcoming bakery when he spotted Eren , who was being pulled inside by his sister. She looked murderous as she dragged her brother inside. He noticed the cause as soon as he inspected his face closely.

"Wow, nice marks." Eren rolled his eyes when he heard the man giving him praise.

"Welcome to Jaeger's Bakery." He muttered before turning around to walk inside his house. He wasn't allowed to be around the shop with that kind of face, especially with a big band-aid on his left cheek.

Levi only looked at him questioningly, the brat was surely in no mood to take nasty jokes. He shrugged and started wandering around the shop, noticing a couple of costumers chatting and some sitting on the empty seats. Carla was busy on the register while her husband offered their regulars the new pastries. The reason he kept coming was because of Erwin who told him to buy their bread during his way to the hospital. He was slowly getting attached by the surroundings as he came to the shop more often.

Levi walked towards the coffee machine and pushed the button after he placed his paper cup under it. He had already met Eren and Mikasa but he'd rarely seen the parents around the shop before. Maybe because it was during rush hour that he came today, he'd be able to see them. Somehow, watching them made him feel at home. He didn't know what a family meant, but seeing the two welcoming the customers and helping them out with their orders felt oddly refreshing.

_'It's like some things never change…'_

He stiffened at his own thoughts, wondering where that came from. He brought his hand to his forehead as it started to feel dizzy. A hand on his shoulder made him jolt in surprised; he whipped his head to stare at the concerned look of Carla.

"Are you alright?" She questioned him with concern. Levi stared into her eyes, her eyebrows were very much similar to Eren's. Her golden eyes widened when their eyes met, because of a reason Levi couldn't quite understand.

"You.. you are…"

"I'm sorry, Mam. I'm alright. Thank you for your concern." He quickly said, taking his cup of coffee and quickly walked to the counter.

"Wait, have we met before?" Carla called out to him, making Levi give her an odd look.

"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken me with someone else." He mumbled. Carla stared at him for a moment before sighing.

"That's right, I'm very sorry. It's just that… you look like my son, almost identical to him in a certain way." Levi stared at her for a moment, wondering about the son she was talking about. Maybe Eren had a brother…? He decided to just drop the subject after realizing it would be invading their privacy to ask.

"I'm sorry, you must be wrong." Levi sent her a terse smile and continued to walk to the counter. Carla shook her head and cupped her mouth.

"What am I thinking… It's not possible." She whispered to herself in shame.

* * *

"OUCH!" Eren yelped when Mikasa pressed a warm wet cloth on his bruised cheek in a very rough manner.

"I can't believe you are fighting at school, oh my God, Eren! You are lucky that they didn't expel you!" Eren groaned at another reprimand.

"Gosh, Mikasa. I've had enough of those from the teachers, you don't have to start another lecture." He yelped when Mikasa pinched his arm.

"Serves you right for fighting! I knew you always fight with Jean, but it has never been physical violence before! I need to talk with your teacher about this!"

"No, please no. I'm 15, not 10 years old!"

"Yes, I will, Eren! The two of you probably need to be separated. Your rivalry is not healthy anymore! I always let it go because a competitor might boost your study to become better than him, but this… this isn't right anymore!"

"He mocked me because I'm not good at cooking class! I don't like it since he started bringing Dad into the mess just because I spoiled the dough!"

"Then using your fists is a good way to solve it? Very smart, Eren!" Mikasa pressed the new band-aid on his cheek, leaving Eren stuttering with pain. He sighed when his sister finally closed the aid kit, hoping that she'd leave him alone right after she finished.

"I'm not going to have you around the shop with those bruises. You are not going to be free either, Eren. I'll see what Dad will make you do during these 3 days of suspension." Eren groaned at her. The time she was in his room's entrance, Eren spoke up.

"Do you think he'll let me bake something?" Eren mumbled, lips forming a pout when Mikasa gave him a smile.

"Let see about that later."

"But-" He stopped when Mikasa cut him.

"You brother… were at the age of 12 when he found his motive to help Dad baking. He wanted to make people smile while eating his creations, just because he watched people walk out with a smile on their faces right after they bought their bread and pastries. Is that a good clue for you?" Eren stayed silent as he looked down. Mikasa left him alone to think on his own. The brunet sighed.

"I wonder if he likes sweets… He did buy a lot of bread before… He couldn't be eating them all by himself, right…?" Eren closed his eyes, letting his body fall on the bed with his feet dangling on the edge. His eyes snapped opened when he remembered the man had walked in a few minutes ago. He quickly gathered on his feet and ran downstairs to check if Levi was still there. His green eyes scanned the crowd, much to his disappointment, Levi had left. He yelped when Carla found him standing before the door and pinched his cheek.

"What's with these bruises? Explain, Eren!" Her son meeped when she found out about his injuries. He had no choice but to explain to her right away.

_**TBC**_

_Yep, Carla's mother instinct is working, too bad… ;D I'm sorry it took long enough, I was distracted with making Riren SIMS XDD A friend of mine made Riren sims3 and I want one also, want a handsome Levi LOL_

_I'll update soon :D Thank you so much for the reviews n.n -hugs all-  
_


	4. Blossom

**Cherishing You**

**Genre: **Drama | Romance | AU | Incest | Modern Days

**Rating:** M

**Pairing: (mainly)** Rivaille x Eren, some other pairings which will be added in the later chaptersp.

_**Summary: **_Having been separated from his brother ever since he was a baby, Eren didn't remember his face aside from his baby photos. He soon found himself slowly getting attached to the new guy who suddenly appeared in his family's bakery during the first day he moved.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin, but this fanfiction is mine. ©AsakuraHannah

_**A/N: **__As a reminder, Levi's age is one year older than Rivaille. Levi is 27, Rivaille is 26.  
_

_**Chapter 04: Blossom**_

Eren growled when a customer annoyed him on purposed, even if their family's bakery was rather famous in town, it didn't mean that the customer would always be nice. There were a few people who were nasty such as this one.

"You really should learn to count, dear. If I was a bad person, I'll keep the wrong change to myself and not return it to you. Maybe you should study more instead of fighting. I bet those bruises won't be disappearing anytime soon." Eren bit his lip and he silently cursed the old lady after she turned around to leave. He knew people always looked up at his sister since she majored in economic and taxes, she was pretty handy the time she took over the register. She was having an exam though, and Eren was still suspended because of fighting at school. He was left to take charge for a week, it seemed like his parent didn't even care about his bruises and what the people might say. It was sort of punishment for him too, that only made Eren hate the treatment from the customer.

_'Why do I even want to take care of these shits…'_ He was glad that the line this morning wasn't very bad. He was taking out the pastries when Levi walked in, his eyes followed his movement from behind the counter. The man immediately walked to the coffee machine, taking the paper cup and pressing the coffee button with lots of milk on the setting. Eren started to memorizing his pattern. He's going to walk around picking up the sweetest bread and chose one or two less sweet probably for his own, Eren had no idea. The teen walked back to the register and gave the lady her order and change. He waited patiently for Levi to head to his direction. A realization dawned on him that he'd mock his bruises on the other day, Eren shifted from one foot to the other nervously. He hoped that he wouldn't be making fun of his face right now. Jean sure beat him pretty hard.

"Hey, you still have those marks, huh? Who beat you that hard?" Levi's tone sounded annoyed as he watched Eren's face earnestly. Eren sighed and took his tray.

"I'll be very glad if you just ignore me, unlike some other people who thought it was their business." Levi raised his eyebrow.

"People ask because they care. You are pretty popular as the son of the famous baker; they feel the need to see you become a fine man someday." Eren felt the urge to vomit at the words.

"Oh please, such big words only make me more annoyed, Levi. Those words are actually adding to the burden on my shoulders. What happened to my uniform by the way?" Levi chuckled at the sudden change of subject.

"I was just stating the fact that you might inherit your father's skill one day. About your uniform, I might return it this week. Sorry, I haven't got the chance to take it back from the laundry." Eren tried not to blurt out that his father wouldn't even let him come near the kitchen, let alone touch a cooking utensil. He was astounded after he heard Levi talk about laundry.

"Laundry? Oh gosh, I don't think my uniform needs a laundry, just a usual wash is enough." Eren complained, he never thought that the man would actually _do_ that. Levi only shrugged in return.

"It's a coffee stain. I want it clean and neat."

"Why am I not surprised?" Eren cocked his brow. Levi snatched the change Eren gave him and grasped the bakery's plastic bag.

"Stop sulking, cold water will make you feel better to start a happy school day." Eren rolled his eyes.

"I'm grounded for a week. Today is the first day they suspended me from school because I fought with Jean. I'm suspended for three days. My parents decided to add 2 more days; I can only come out from my room when I need to go to the toilet, and to the shop to help out." Eren shrugged as he leaned against the counter with a heavy sigh.

"They even moved me to an empty room with only my textbooks as a friend to read to kill my boredom. Hell, I'd rather sleep." Levi shook his head and snorted after hearing the summary.

"You are a naughty teenager." He purposely pinched his cheek lightly, earning a yelp from Eren.

"Hey!" Those green orbs glared at him, Levi only threw him a smirk.

"It hurts, doesn't it? That's why, don't fight, it's not good for your body."

"Just go away! I'm not your brother for you to order around." Levi avoided Eren's hand when he attempted to smack him.

"Like I said before, you need to wash your grumpy face with cold water and make the customer smile. And stop growling like a dog." Eren growled as he watched the man leave. He shook his head but then chuckled at the thought. He might be older a few years from him, but he listened to every word he was saying, mocking him like it was his matter to take care of. Eren's lips curved up into a smile. The man was not as bad as he thought. Eren's heart thumped a little. He couldn't wait for Levi to come again tomorrow at the same time.

* * *

"Are you serious?!" Eren slapped his hand over Armin's mouth, preventing himself from yelling too loud. Armin was just coming home from school and decided to go to Eren's house. The brunet was still grounded, not even a mobile phone in his hand. It had been three days and Eren had told him he was on the verge of dying since he wasn't able to at least browse sites from his mobile phone. Armin decided to visit his poor friend right after school at least until he finished with his punishment. His father made Eren swipe the floor and clean the store from dawn and after they closed, much to his disappointment. He thought he would at least be able to come near the kitchen and learn to bake. Even if he told him about how he defended his father, Grisha was still not pleased.

The teen wasn't allowed to sleep in his own room where there were too many things he could do, like watch TV or even play games. His mother had set a futon on the empty room just so he could sleep and study other than doing 'unnecessary things' with games. The only books allowed were his textbooks; she hoped that he'd spend more time on studying other than reading comics. Good thing was they at least let Armin visit him for some school gossip and homework or note copies.

"Don't shout!" The teen hissed right after he retracted his hand away, earning a mute nod.

"Sorry, I mean… I just didn't expect you to be…" He looked at the door, suddenly afraid that someone might eavesdrop. Eren sighed while massaging his temple.

"I don't know since when it started but… I guess I am… attracted to him." Armin stared at him with one eyebrow rose.

"Maybe it was just… temporary? I don't know, you only met him last week and all he did was just buy bread almost every day at the same hour. Do you know where he works? What about his age? Did he ever contact you after that accident with your uniform jacket? He did give you his numbers after all." Eren shook his head.

"He hasn't returned the jacket, but he said he'd give it to me around this week. I don't know, Armin. He gave me his number because he thought I'd want it for my uniform purpose. Maybe it's because I've seen him almost everyday, that I'm attracted to him? I seriously hope that this won't be getting serious, I don't even know what love means." Armin covered his mouth the time he heard his last sentence, seeing his friend's blush almost reaching his ears. Eren glared at him right after his best friend started laughing out loud.

"Sorry, I'm sorry but… I never thought I'd see you fall in love… Your expression was very funny just now." Armin said between gasping for breath and wiping his tears from the corner of his eyes. He yelped when Eren swung a pillow at his face, dodging the second attack with a big grin.

"Very funny, you said? Such a friend you are!" Eren hissed at him while pummeling him with his pillow.

"Okay, okay. Stop it. I get it already. I guess it was just your hormones and nothing else. Let's just see where it goes, alright? I think you need to find out more about him if you wanted to, then you can see if you really had a crush or you're just curious." Eren hugged his pillow, pouting a bit. Armin chuckled after he saw his face.

"I just don't want you to rush things. This is a first time after all, so I think you should take it slow. Just throw him some questions and try to get to know him better, Eren. You might get disappointed later, but then maybe not. It's worth a try." Armin shrugged.

"… I'll try… Just don't mention it to Mikasa." He buried his face on the pillow, Armin smiled at him and ran his hand to ruffle his hair. He felt like a brother in times like this.

"Don't worry about it. Oh, it's almost 5, I have to go." Armin rose to his feet as the clock jingled.

"Right, see you tomorrow. Make sure to come or I'll die from boredom." The blonde laughed at him while his friend sent him downstairs.

* * *

Levi's hand twitched when he saw Eren sweeping the floor. It was unusual for the brat to hold that thing, not to mention that he was very bad at handling those dusts.

"Maybe you need to learn to sweep the floor properly. The dust is flying everywhere." Levi said after he took the cup of coffee. Hearing Eren growl in response, Levi couldn't help but to chuckle at him.

"You are pretty early today…" He tried to ignore the insult of his way to clean. As soon as their eyes met, Eren could felt his heart pounding at the way those eyes gleamed at him. His hands unconsciously clutching the handle of the broom tighter.

"I got patients to handle, Erwin won't keep it down if I'm late today." Levi said and walked to the counter. Eren felt some kind of tension go down when the man broke their eye-contact. It wasn't until he heard Levi was handling patients that he knew what the man worked as.

"You are a doctor?" Levi smirked at him.

"Happy that you're finally able to know me a little? Still just an assistant though." Eren stuttered, trying not to fool himself in front of him.

"I was just… You always come here nearly every day, and every morning buy the same coffee with lots of milk… You sometimes buy loads of bread… I don't know… I'm just curious. Is… Is that bad that I want to know?"

Those green eyes stared at him, almost accusing the man for the cause of his heart beating faster by the minutes. Levi stayed rooted in his spot, he never had any intention of making the boy before him slowly attached just by coming every day. All he did was buy Erwin's order, chat with him a little by the morning. Sometimes the brat was pouting because of the scolds he got from his mother from being lazy. He did nothing but listen, occasionally throwing him a smug look and mocked him a little. He even told him to wake up and wash his face so he'd feel better a few days ago. Realizing the way Eren was staring at him keenly at the moment made his heart thump slightly. Levi quickly looked away and let out a sigh. He shuffled on his feet and picked up a tray to take some bread from the shelf.

"What's with that sigh?"

"Eren, I'm 27." Eren looked at him questioning, he never asked him about his age, but he didn't mind that the man let him knew.

"I never asked about your age." Levi stayed silent, but he knew the boy was curious.

"I'm here to buy Erwin's order; he loves your family's bread. I have to pass your shop before I reach to the train station to go to the Sina's Hospital where I work. I decided a cup of coffee to make me awake every morning wasn't bad. That's all…" Levi turned around to face the boy who seemed disappointed as he listened to him. He had to do this so that Eren wouldn't grow attached to him too much.

"I see…" Eren mumbled, he resumed his sweeping and moved around about while Levi went picking up the bread. The silence was unnerving for a moment until Levi had to pay for his things. Eren silently served him, trying so hard not to let his fingers touch the man's palm when he gave him his change. Levi stared at the teen, he still avoided looking up to him. He brought his hand and nuzzled his brown lock, making him flinch at the contact.

"Cheer up, you'll be able to go back to school and have fun with friends. Just don't fight again. I'll make you suffer in your hospital bed." He sent him an amused look at the way Eren glared at him for messing up his hair.

"Shut up." He hissed at him, earning a chuckle from the older of the two.

"And you hiss like a cat." Eren felt the urge to claw the man because of the embarrassment. Levi only waved at him nonchalantly as Eren watched his back as the man disappeared behind the closed door. Touching his tousled hair, the brunet bit his lip. He had no idea why his heart beat faster just by a simple gesture, but he was sure that Levi had made it worse than it should be. The raven knew he was bored at home and no friends to have fun with.

"Damn it, stop increasing my hopes." He slammed the drawer full of money shut.

* * *

Levi stared at the shop from far away. He stared down at his hand which previously nuzzled Eren's hair. It was like he used to do that a lot before, his brother's green eyes flashed into his mind. Levi shook his head as he curled his fingers into a fist.

_"Just go away! I'm not your brother for you to order around."_

_"…you look like my son, almost identical to him in a certain way."_

Levi ran his hand to his spine, feeling a headache attacking him. He forced himself to shove those thoughts away and walked down into the train station.

"… I must be insane…" He muttered to himself.

_**TBC**_

_**They finally interacted ;D Blossom : 'Youth blossomed into maturity' X"D Soon, Eren, soon...  
**_

_**Happy White Day to all of you, those you'd like to read the White Day RiRen Fic, can go to my profile for the AO3 link or copy paste this**_

_ archiveofourown**dot**org/works/1311319_


	5. Runaway

**Cherishing You**

**Genre: **Drama | Romance | AU | Incest | Modern Days

**Rating:** M

**Pairing: (mainly)** Rivaille x Eren, some other pairing which will be added in the later chp.

**_Summary: _**Having separated from his brother ever since he was a baby, Eren didn't remember the face of his older brother aside from his baby photos. He soon found himself slowly attached to the new guy who appeared in his family's bakery during the first day of his moving.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin, but this fanfiction is mine. ©AsakuraHannah

* * *

**_Chapter 05: Runaway_**

Jean looked at Armin, taken back to what the blonde had explained to him about Eren's condition.

"So he was grounded? And here I am, looking forward to seeing him after three days not coming into school because of his nasty behavior. I'm being suspended too, it's his fault. Now he's free at home? I envy him…" He started to laugh as Armin glared at him.

"What? He was the one who started it." Jean stopped after Marco sent him a look.

"You're also guilty, you know that, Jean?" Jean looked at his cousin, grimacing at him defending Eren.

"He had his reason, Jean. The words you said about his father stung him." Jean looked at Armin questioningly. The blonde explained to him about the cause of Eren's father who never let him venture to the kitchen to help out. The taller guy started to feel guilty, he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"So, I guess I hit a nerve?" He let out an exasperated sigh.

"I just want you to know the reason he acted like that. I don't really know what's going on in his family, but I heard Eren has wanted to help out since he was 10. I'm not the one who'd interfere in people's problems, but I felt the need to tell you this. You've mocked him indirectly in a sensitive wound. You have to apologize." Armin said calmly, staring into Jean's eyes attentively. Jean blinked at him, the blonde didn't make it any better.

"I…" Jean started, he was cut off after he saw Eren's sister walking towards their direction. All eyes stared at her as she entered the cafeteria, some boys blushed as she walked past their tables.

"Mikasa?" Armin looked up when she stood beside him. Her eyes never leaving Jean as she stood firm across from him, lips pursing together as the boy stared back into her black eyes.

"Jean, I need to talk to you." Jean gulped and stood up. They walked out from the cafeteria, the boy following Mikasa meekly until she stopped near the very end of the store.

"I need to talk to you about Eren. I decided to talk to you directly instead to the teachers upon seeing that you guys fought the other day. I've known you ever since Eren entered elementary school, so I know you had no bad intention towards my brother." Jean's stomach did a somersault after she turned around to face him, her long black hair fluttering nicely as she moved.

"I heard from Armin the cause. I planned on going to apologize." He replied dryly, trying not to stare too much at her face.

"I see… in that case, you should do what he told you. You two are always fighting, but he never used any violence before. I apologize as well for my brother's behavior." Jean sucked on his breath. He cursed Eren inwardly for having such a loveable sister.

"I… I never thought that I'd used my fist on him, so I'll apologize about that too. I'm sorry, Mikasa." Mikasa's lips curved into a small smile, a fact which made Jean's heart skip.

"Dad never let him bake because of his brother."

"You mean your brother, Rivaille?" Mikasa nodded.

"Dad was utterly sad after he lost his son, Rivaille had succeeded with his talent ever since he was 10 years old. He'd found his motive to make people happy after they bought and ate his creations, the bread he made being put into the recommend list when he was 12. Dad was very proud of his son, but that has all changed after Rivaille got into an accident. He felt that he'd forced his son to inherit his skills, that's why ever since Rivaille passed away, he never wanted Eren to touch anything.

Dad wouldn't let Eren touch the kitchen until he was sure Eren was ready to take over the business. He just wanted Eren to be free from his clutches. Eren was frustrated over it, he wanted to learn by heart, but his father acted like he didn't trust him enough with his shop. My Dad is weird, I know. I told you this so you knew why Eren was mad over it. You deserved to know after all those punches." Jean gave a silent nod after the short summary. Even Eren got some problem to deal with, he chose his fist to defend himself from people's ridicule.

"I understand, I'll apologize to him. Thank you for telling me about this." Mikasa nodded.

"Just don't tell him about his Dad's reason yet. I've seen him being pushed around by our parents, and had to deal with lots of customers who see him with one eye. He might explode any time soon. I'm keeping an eye of him, so I want you to keep cool whenever he is throwing tantrums."

"Roger that." Jean grinned at her. Mikasa sent him another sweet smile, leaving the poor boy alone to stare at her back until she disappeared from his eyesight. He was shocked when Armin nudged him on his waist, while Marco tried not to laugh at his silly expression. They were staring at him curiously; Jean had thrown his pride and face-palming before the two.

"Craaap, Mikasa, she's so pretty. How could a pretty lady like her get such a violent brother, I have no idea! Her long black hair makes her prettier!" Jean's mouth spit curses at how lucky Eren was while Armin only chuckled and Marco sweat-dropped.

"Jean, she's engaged already. Forget her." Armin chuckled as Jean let out a huge sigh.

"Just tell us what she talked about." Marco pressed impatiently. Jean coughed into his fist, trying to act cool and started the story telling. He didn't forget to tell them not to tell anyone, even Eren himself.

* * *

Eren hummed in silence as he put the broom back to its place. The store had closed the time he finished sweeping, he waved at the last costumer and flipped the board sign right after he locked the front door. He walked inside his house and headed to the kitchen since his stomach was grumbling at him, asking for some snacks. He found his mother was in the middle of pouring the icing on a cake which seemed to be very easy. His curiosity kicked in and he hurriedly walked over to her.

"Can I do it?" Carla couldn't help herself not to smile at the enthusiasms in Eren's eyes, she let him do what he wanted, keeping a close eye on the way Eren worked on the icing.

"It's easy isn't it?" She watched him, amused as he swiftly spread the icing neatly.

"Saying is much easier than done. I can practice." Eren mumbled while carefully tilting the spatula, spreading the icing on the side of the cake. Carla was unable to hold the laughter as she watched her son's expression. The moment was broken down when Grisha entered the kitchen and saw his son holding the spatula. Seeing his lips curve down at the sight, Carla shook her head to him, but her husband wouldn't listen.

"Eren, if you have finished sweeping, go upstairs and study." Eren pursed his lips, he pretended he did not hear his Dad. Mikasa entered the kitchen, watching worriedly as she realized the uncomfortable aura.

"Eren, are you deaf? Put that down this instant." Grisha raised his tone, making Eren flinch at the scolding. The boy's grip on the utensils tightened.

"Can't you let me go just this once? I'm not even baking here, I'm helping Mom." He glared at the man who looked bemused at his reply.

"Why are you becoming a bad child now? Do you want to be locked up in your room?"

"Grisha…" Carla stopped when he patted her shoulder, telling her not to interfere.

"You are still grounded; you are not allowed to do anything than study and do house work. Go now."

"This is house work I'm doing, Dad. Can't you see that I'm trying to help out?" his protest went down after his father shook his head.

"I told you to sweep the floor only, not do something else. Stop finding excuses, Eren." Those green eyes were glaring daggers at him, Grisha could only give him a firm look.

"Do you not trust me at all? I'm trying to find a reason for this, I'm thinking that maybe I can do create something to make people happy just by eating my cakes. Wouldn't that be enough?" Carla gasped as Grisha's eyes widened. Mikasa threw Eren a surprised look, their eyes met, but she nodded, giving him an okay to continue.

"I may not be as good as my brother, but I can try!" Eren's hand was trembling as he finally said it, thinking that maybe his Dad will understand. Maybe he'd finally let him do something worth for once. Eren was utterly disappointed right after Grisha turned his back to him.

"Just go to your room and rest." Eren's eyes widened, he sent him a disbelieving look.

"Eren, listen to your Dad. You should be a good boy just like your brother." Carla tried, stepping forward. Those words stung, Eren threw the spatula he was holding to the floor.

"Right! I'm not Rivaille who is perfect and flawless at baking! How can I be better if I just watch from the sidelines? I'm not him because I'm getting suspended and fighting? I only raised my fist once! I'm sick of you who always try to make me become Rivaille but not even try to solve anything for me! If you don't like me, say so!" His eyes watered after his burst, he bit his lip and shook his head. Eren turned around, bolting to the door, ignoring his mother's shouts. He slammed the door shut and ran out from the house, he did not care where his feet brought him as long as he could be away for some time.

"Eren! Mikasa, please…" Mikasa sighed as she watched her brother disappear behind the closed door. She quickly ran outside, trying to make Eren stop. She managed to catch him before he left.

"Eren, lets go back to the house, you cannot do this."

"Shut up, Mikasa! You are not helping! They love you because you are smart, even capable of handling everything. Why don't you go back inside and leave me alone?!" Mikasa's mouth hung open, she never thought her brother would throw his tantrum to her. Eren shook his head and exhaled loudly, he didn't expect himself to go that far.

"Sorry, I… I've had enough with all these… just… leave me alone for a while… I want to cool my head…" Eren quickly ran outside the gate, not even bothering to look behind him. His sister could only sigh at the sight. she walked back to the house, shaking her head at her parent's expectant look.

"He needs some time to be alone… Let him be… You guys are pressuring him… That thing Eren said about Rivaille, I'm the one who gave him a clue, after all, that's the only thing which has been in his mind for years. Why is it so hard to be more open about this, Dad?"

"I'm surprised he's more persistence about it nowadays… I just… don't want to lose my son again…" Grisha shook his head. A flash of memory went through his mind, his heart clenched in pain. The glare Eren threw to him, it was like Rivaille did when he told him his bread wasn't worth eating. The boy worked extra hard just to be recognized, that went to waste as soon his father hit him on his face, telling him that he wasn't worth to be a baker. The time he saw the grave stone before his eyes, he regretted every little thing he did. He watched as Eren looked at him, full of curiosity. He promised to himself he wouldn't let Eren go through the same trouble again. He tried not to let him near the kitchen, but he knew he couldn't keep him away much longer.

"You should do something, Grisha. I don't want to lose my son again…" Carla shouted in frustration. Mikasa frowned at her, wondering what it was exactly that had gone wrong.

"You are overreacting, Mom…"

"You don't understand… Grisha, why are you so harsh to him? Didn't you have enough with when your son ran away?! I don't want to risk losing another!" Carla yelled, she was about to run outside, but Grisha held her firmly.

"Carla, don't act so panicked."

"You two, can you stop fighting? I need some explanation here? Ran away? What do you mean by ran away? Brother… Rivaille? Wasn't he supposed to be… dead…?" She didn't like the way her parent stared at her, as if guilt creeping up to their face.

"I tried to hide this fact and turn my back on it but… I guess we can't hide this from you anymore, Mikasa. As the oldest sibling, you should know…" Mikasa's heart sank as she watched her cry.

"What's going on? Is there something that you are hiding from us?"

* * *

Eren cursed loudly as soon as he found out that he had run out without bringing anything with him, let alone his mobile phone. He stood before the locket in the train station without any money. He was speechless as the realization hit him that he had nowhere to go, not even a few cents in his pocket. The teen ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He refused to bend down to his knees and go back home. His anger wasn't going down yet and he refused to meet his father in the face.

"If you are not going to buy anything then go away." A sound made him screech, he quickly moved away from the locket and muttered an apology to the man. He sighed and leaned against the wall tiredly, watching as people ran up to the train before the gate closed and some walked out and up the escalator. Eren slid to the dirty ground, staring blankly at the train buzzing quickly. The speaker announced the last departure and there goes his plan to go to Armin's house. The only friend he could count on in a time like this, now he had no choice but to stay in his spot unless he cooled his head off.

"Hey brat, don't sit there, it's dirty." Eren was about to snap angrily at the person when his eyes clashed into teal-gray eyes, staring at him with a confused look.

"Levi…" His voice caught in his throat, not sure how to speak the moment Levi offered his hand. He took it and brought himself to his feet, smiling at him hesitantly.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" Eren looked to his side, avoiding the subject. The man's lip twitched as he smirked down at him.

"Did you just… run away?" Eren's face heated up.

"Leave me alone!" He snatched his hand away from his grip, ready to turn and leave. His collar being pulled from behind prevented him from going anywhere.

"Let me go!" He protested, but the man had dragged him a few steps.

"You are not going back to your house, are you? At least come to my apartment, you can pour everything out there." Eren gaped at him, he didn't know whether he should be upset or happy on the invitation.

* * *

"That time, they went to the field-trip with two buses. The police said that the bus which collided with the gasoline truck got one extra child. Soon, we heard that the son of that single parent is missing. They even put his photo on the news, but some of the corpses found with burnt on their faces… We can't be sure but…" Grisha decided to open it.

"So, the one we… build a stone was not Rivaille… your brother was never found. He's missing." Mikasa's whole body was trembling with cold sweat.

"Dad, are you saying that the grave we visited was actually empty?" Mikasa's voice quivered as she looked at her father mortified. Carla sent her a sad look while wiping her tears.

"It was only for a memorial. We don't know where he was or what happened during the trip, but there's no trace of him at all. Even the teacher went to the list of the student's name in the bus. We checked but he was nowhere to be found. There is no information whether he was dead or alive." The moment she heard her, Mikasa's vision went blank. Carla screamed as she caught her daughter in her arms with Grisha tried to calm her down, telling her that she had just fainted.

**_TBC_**

**A/N: **The single parent they were talking about in this chapter is in chapter 3, during Levi's trip to the lab (Levi's train of thoughts on the news) if you missed it ;D


End file.
